He came up behind her saying, "Some day man will conquer outer space as he has the planetary system."
Nadia sat up, her black eyes provoked. "What are you? A fish? After all I'm supposed to have a passion for you. Didn't I say back in Trev's office that we had a lot to talk over, Mr. Gavin Murdock, ex-chief engineer of the Europa?"
Gavin pulled up a deck chair. His blue eyes wary, he asked in a flat voice, "Why did you vouch for me? You never worked for Transplanet. Why did you lie?"
"No," she replied slowly. "No, I never was third mate aboard any of Transplanet's ships. But I wasn't lying. I did know you." She laughed teasingly. "And I did have a crush on you, Mr. Gavin Murdock, ex-first assistant-engineer of Tri-World's ship, the Saturn!"
Gavin controlled an inclination to jump. His face hardened. It was true he had been first assistant-engineer of the Saturn. He had left her to join the T.I.S.
"I was a cadet aboard the Saturn," Nadia explained. "Now just exactly what are you? And what do you want aboard the Nova?"
Gavin was silent a moment. "Now you're going to lie," accused the girl angrily.
"No. On the contrary, I'm going to ask you the same question. Your own position can't be too secure. That's why you had to back me up with that artistic lie in Trev's office. You were afraid they'd start asking you questions ... I wouldn't be surprised if you were a T.I.S. agent!"
The girl looked startled. A flush suffused her pale cheeks. She said, "So that's how you plan to shut my mouth. You devil! You know that if Cabot even suspected such a thing he'd kill me."
"Well," said Gavin coolly. "I don't know that any of us can afford to take a chance if you're a T.I.S. agent."